A 37-ft-tall Temple Car built by the Residents of Madambakkam in Chennai

37-feet-tall temple car is built by the residents of Madambakkam Town Panchayat

Pilot run of the car was carried on May 29

10-days annual Bhamvottsavam function will end on June 5 with the temple car going through many streets

Chennai, June 02, 2017: The residents of Madambakkam town panchayat, near Tambaram, have built a car for the temple, at a cost of Rs. 45 lakh. The 37-feet-tall temple car is built first time after the 19th century when the previous temple was destroyed in flood, residents say.

The place consists of a few villages, which include Noothancheri and e Paduvancheri, where farmers and low-ranked government staff constitute the majority. In many parts of this region, paddy fields stretch away.

The lives of many of its residents are centred around the Chola-era Dhenupureeswarar Shiva temple, which is located in the main locality, Madambakkam, mentioned The Hindu.

On May 29, a pilot run of the temple car was carried out in the neighbourhood with many residents of the region participating. The 10-day annual Bhamvottsavam function will end on June 5 with the temple car going through many streets.

The 10-day annual Bhamvottsavam function will end on June 5 with the temple car travelling through many streets.

“To have a temple car was a dream of residents for decades. It would be a topic at every gram sabha meeting. Finally, the dream has come true,” says 63-year-old V. Bajendra Babu, a long-time resident of Madambakkam.

Babu is a core committee member, which monitored the work of building the temple car. Five years ago, the idea of a constructing temple car took definite shape at a gram sabha meeting in Madambakkam. Following this, residents formed multiple teams, each constituting of more than six residents, in the manufacturing of temple car.

The biggest challenges remained in mobilising funds for the project and getting the necessary permission from the ASI, Chennai Circle, and the HR&CE.

“As the temple car is a movable asset and does not affect the monument (temple), residents got the nod from the government agencies. It’s a collective effort of the residents,” said an executive officer of the temple, P. Kolangi.

“We had no idea about the design features of a temple car. We learnt several things along the way,” says Manikandan, a temple sculptor from Madambakkam.

Residents made reasonable contributions towards the project, sponsoring parts of the car. Donations ranged from Rs. 100 to a few lakh rupees.

The Core Committee also visited multiple temples, including those in Vadapalani, Tiruvottiyur, Thiruporur, Virudachalam near Tiruchy, to learn about temple car designs. Temple sculptors (Sabathis) from Perambalur district were lined in.